159
Three months later …
“Grey.” I answered the ringing phone. It was four am and I was so tired I could barely open my eyes.
“Ava’s gone into labour, we’re in the waiting room,” Elio said.
“She’s got shit timing, we’re on our way,” I said wide awake now.
“What’s going on?” Megan asked me as I switched the lamp on.
“Ava’s having the baby,” I said.
“Can’t I just stay here?” she asked me.
“And how would that look to the rest of the tribe?” I asked her already pulling jeans on.
“I hate your tribe,” she said as she got out of bed.
“No you don’t, you love them all,” I said with a smile.
“I hate you,” she said and I laughed.
“Get over it because I love you,” I said as she reached the cupboard.
“I’ll get over it when I can see my feet again,” she said as she pulled on tights and one of my t-shirts.
An hour later I parked the truck in front of our clinic that was run by our own people. It was open to humans as well and cheaper than the private hospital. I had to bite my tongue at how slow Megan moved and I knew if I said anything she’d hurt me.
“Any news yet?” I asked Elio in the waiting room.
“Not yet,” he said as we sat down in chairs next to him.
“Oh boy,” Megan said as she started to frown.
“Sharon!” I yelled as I realized that her water had broken.
“Get a gurney in here,” Sharon said as she ran towards Megan.
“Always have to do everything together,” Elio said as he stood on Megan’s other side and we got her onto the gurney.
“Tell Felix when you see him,” I shouted over my shoulder as I ran to catch up with the nurses pushing Megan away.
Two hours later I held my son in my arms as I sat on the edge of Megan’s bed. He had screamed bloody murder the moment he was born and I had fallen in love instantly. Megan was tired but healing and my son was perfect.
“What do you want to name him?” I asked Megan.
“Wynter Grey, with a Y,” she said.
“Welcome to the world Wynter,” I said and kissed the top of his head.
“Get out of my way you idiot!” Lucas’s voice filtered down the hall towards me.
“Chief Ryder hasn’t given permission for anyone to enter,” Mike said. Mike was one of our warriors and I knew that the news of Wynter’s birth had spread and that the tribe would ensure his safety.
“You don’t tell me what to do, I’ll break your neck before you can even blink,” Lucas threatened him and I opened the door.
“It’s okay Mike,” I said.
“Yes Chief,” Mike said and stood to one side to let Lucas and Rylee pass.
Lucas’s face changed the moment he saw Wynter and he basically threw his phone at Rylee as he held his arms open. “Give me my grandson.”
“Meet Wynter,” I said and handed him over to Lucas carefully.
“What kind of name is Wynter?” Lucas asked with a smile as he stroked Wynter’s face.
“The name Megan chose,” I said.
“Then it’s a perfectly good name,” he said as I chuckled.
“He’s beautiful, Ryder,” Rylee said as she handed Lucas’s phone to me and took Wynter.
“How’s Megan?” Lucas asked.
“Tired but good,” I said as Lucas pushed the door open and walked into the room.
“You should go out to the waiting room, seems like the whole tribe is here and Max is freaking out,” Rylee said.
I left my parents with Megan and bumped into Felix coming from the opposite hall. “Congratulations,” we said in unison and started to laugh.
“Milo Sherwood,” Felix said with a smile.
“Wynter Grey,” I replied as we both grinned.
“Twins for all intents and purposes,” Felix said as we pushed the doors open and walked into the waiting room.
“Chief,” a few people said as they stopped talking.
“Milo Sherwood and Wynter Grey has both taken their first breaths, they’re both healthy and their mothers are doing well,” I said as applause broke out and the tribe’s cheers rang throughout the waiting room.
We accepted congratulations from the tribe members and that afternoon they were all discharged to go home. Max had gone back to the island and picked up their bags so Megan could shower and change. Going back to the island was the slowest boat ride I’d ever taken as the babies slept and Megan glared at me a few times because I refused to let anyone take him from me.
The following few months was the worst I’d ever endured in my life. Wynter cried all the time and they finally told us that he had colic and would outgrow it. Megan was a terrific mother and she seemed to have everything under control, all the time.
“I’ll get him,” I said with my eyes still closed.
“It’s okay, you sleep,” Megan said.
“You need to sleep, I’ve got him,” I said as I got out of bed.
Megan slumped back down on her pillow and her eyes closed instantly. She’d been running herself ragged, cooking and cleaning, looking after Wynter and somehow still finding time for the tribe. I picked Wynter up and headed downstairs with him to get him a bottle.
Back upstairs I changed him and sat down on the rocking chair as I fed him. His eyes were half closed as he drank from the bottle. It was at times like these that I felt more human than dragon, sitting with my son in the early morning hours.
“Chief,” Max said from the doorway.
“What?” I asked him softly.
“The Elders from the Florida region is requesting a meeting with you at eight am,” he whispered.
“I don’t have a choice, do I?”
“Sorry Chief,” he said with a crooked smile.
I put Wynter back down in his crib and closed the door behind me. Max was already making coffee in the kitchen downstairs. “Thanks.” Max handed me a fresh cup and I sat down at the kitchen table.
“Did they say what they wanted?” I asked Max.
“To me? Are you kidding?” he laughed.
“They’ll be questioning me about the tribe,” I said and took a sip from the cup.
“You’re not breaking any laws,” Max said.
“Sometimes that doesn’t matter to them,” I said.
It was nearing six am and Max had taken over running the perimeter, day and night, while we all settled into a new routine that had us up at all hours of the night. Milo was already sleeping through the night but we had no such luck.
“I’ll start breakfast,” Max said as I stood up and put my empty cup in the sink.
At eight am on the dot, I stood on the dock as the three men climbed out of the boat and walked towards me. They wore floral shirts over chino trousers and one of them even had flip flops on. They weren’t what you expected of Elders at all and I watched them intently.
They looked like old men that had retired in Florida and I had to wonder what their true intent with this meeting was. “Ryder Grey?” the first man asked me.
“Welcome to Belle Island,” I said and shook his hand.
“I’m Elder Charles McNamara, that’s Jackson Cooper and Neil Hollands,” Elder Charles said.
“You were right, he has a strong dragon,” Elder Jackson said.
“The island is such that your dragons can roam if you wish,” I said as we started walking towards the cabin.
“Maybe next time,” Elder Neil said.
We reached the cabin and I opened the kitchen door. I didn’t have an office on the island and anything that we needed to discuss usually happened around the kitchen table.
“Please take a seat, I don’t keep an office on the island so this will have to do,” I said as I switched the coffee machine on.
“I grew up around the kitchen table, all of our important conversations took place there,” Elder Charles said with a smile as he sat down.
“What can I do for you?” I asked as I stood behind my chair.
“As an exiled Sire we found it strange that you took over Bushnell, with a lot of people following your leadership,” Elder Neil said cutting right to the chase.
“I’m not breaking any laws. I run a tribe, not a lair, and the people following me are not all dragons,” I said.
“Yes we know, we did our homework before coming here,” Elder Jackson remarked.
“Then I’ll ask again, what can I do for you?” I asked and all three of them smiled at me.
“We’re also aware of your history with the Elite Unit and your reputation as a hunter,” Elder Neil said.
“We would like to hire you in a personal capacity,” Elder Charles clarified.
“To do what? Be your hunter?” I asked.
“Why yes, it is what you do best,” Elder Charles said.
“I’m in exile, like you said, I can’t be seen doing any sort of business with any dragonkin,” I said.
“Your talents are of such a nature that we’ve spoken to the Royal Family and the King has granted you leave of your exile,” Elder Jackson said.
“As long as I work for you,” I said.
“You’re smarter than people give you credit for,” Elder Neil said with a chuckle.
“I’m perfectly happy in exile Elders, I obey our laws and I just became a father, my time is limited at the moment,” I said.
“You can keep your tribe Ryder, you don’t have to give up on these people, but out of exile you can claim this territory, think about it, it wouldn’t be on a permanent basis,” Elder Charles said.
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